Muhith: People should be considered senior citizens after 65

Finance Minister AMA Muhith addresses a contract signing ceremony of the first ever resort for the senior citizens in the country at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka on Monday, December 4, 2017 PID

The resort will be developed for those elderly parents, who live alone or without their children

Finance Minister AMA Muhith has urged the authorities concerned to take necessary steps for fixing 65 years as the threshold age for the senior citizens instead of the existing 60 years.

“It should not be 60 years, but at least 65 years to regard someone as a senior citizen,” he said while speaking as the chief guest at a contract signing ceremony of the country’s first ever resort for the senior citizens at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka on Monday.

The resort named “Oboshor” is to be jointly developed by the Department of Social Services under the Social Welfare ministry and Universal Medical College and Hospital Ltd in Moulvibazar’s Sreemangal upazila under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative.

The resort will be developed for those elderly parents, who live alone or without their children.

Universal Medical College Hospital Chairman Priti Chakraborty and Director General of the Department of Social Services Gazi Mohammad Nurul Kabir signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides for development of the resort.

The resort complex will provide 100 secure residences, a specialized hospital with 50 beds, open field and other greener facilities.

Residents of the resort will have an ample space and opportunities to engage in multiple activities with the other residents. They will also have the opportunity to mingle with visitors and guests who come to spend vacations at the resort, organizers said at the program.

Universal Medical College and Hospital Managing Director Dr Ashis Kumar Chakraborty said that changing trend of our society is resulting in many elderly parents left alone to live without their children.

“The aim of this medical resort is to provide a solution to this growing problem,” he said.

Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, State Minister for Finance MA Mannan and State Minister for Social Welfare Nuruzzaman Ahmed were also present at the event.